The Opelousas courier., 1887-01-08
SALT LAKE CITY.
Interesting Description OF the
Citadel OF Mormonism.
How the City which Brigham Young was
Inspired" to Build has Grown.

Long after civilization, helped forward
somewhat by the Edmunds. anti-polyga'
my act, shall have overthrown the Nor
mon hierarchy, and after Mormonism
shall have been forgotten, the Mormon
capital will. pcrpetuate the name OF
Brigham Young, and be proof of his
great qualities as a pioneer and the
builder of a city. Indeed, it was by
building Salt Lake City that he gave
the Mormon Church both the inspiration
and its machinery for resisting civiliza-
ton as stubbornly as it has. The City
of the Saints has a history that has been
written and read in every civilized
tongue; it attained commercial impor-
lance even before its founder died, and
it is one of the most beautiful of all
modernly built cities. For its omance
(and its founding wa decidedly ro-
mantle, unless the Mormon point of view
be taken, and it be called the result of
an inspiration, for its commerce, and
for the selection of SO fine a
site and for its laying out,
we are indebted to Brigham Young.
When the band of "Saints" were driven
from Missouri they began their long
march westward without definite pur-
pose. But when in their journey.across
the great American desert their leader
came to the valley Of the Great Salt
Lake, which is hemmed in on every side
but one by high mountain ranges, he re-
cognized in the alkali plain the proper
site for a great city. He was 'sinspired"
to build it, and he went about it with a
vigor and a comprehension of the art of
building a city which go far toward
justifying his claim to a superhuman
suggestion. Having irrigated the land
and proved its fertility, he laid out the
town precisely as it has been built. On a
commanding position he set the Taber-
nacle with its oval roof. Near by was the
Tithing-house, and nearer still the walls
of the beautiful Temple have since been
reared OH the site selected by him. The
"Beehive," VIII oh is the row of abode
houses where his numerous family re-
sided, is but one block away. And
round about all this he bull 1t q wall, lest
Incidence should give time for discomfort,
and in order to carry out the parallel to
Biblical BODYBUILDING.
The streets were made wide, so that
the hoy city should not lack attractive
ness, and down every street a mountain
stream was turned, which constituted an
ideal surface system of watcrworks and
drainage. As the bishops and apos-
ties became thrifty-and thrift is the
prime virtue of the "Saints"-they
erected fine adobe residences, and later
wooden ones of pretentions to architec-
tural beauty on the hillsides at the base
of the mountains. Through the yard of
every one a mountain stream runs, which
makes its way into a surface sewer,
thence into the Jordan river, and thence
into the great Salt Lake itself. Within
sight of perpetual snow, the flower
yards of the Saints bloom early in spring,
and keep their freshness till the late
coming frost in this r, Unless atmosphere.
The air is as dry and wholesome as the
air of Colorado, and nature does its own
plumbing. Pavements have been laid
now, of course, and magnificent
drives lead out Of the city.
Residences of the rich have
been built alike in the Norman and in
the Gentle section, large mercantile es-
adjustments have taken the place of
adobe huts; but the wisdom with which
the city was laid ont has become palmer
with every improvement.
The street whereon the stBeehive" was
was planned for the official resi-
dence of the President of the Church,
which has been completed more recently,
and the square that was set aside for the
Tabernacle is large enough to hold the
Temple also. There is nothing lack
ing in site OF plan to make the city a re-
ligglous capital. And all that appeals to
the religious zeal of the Mormons has APP
to the appreciation Of the Gentiles.
It appeals to the admiration also
of all visitors. There are no hills nor
hollows in the city proper, except where
its outskirts have begun to extend up
the slope of the mountains, which not
further back ward becomes mac
eessible. It is on one of these slopes
the founder Of tile city is buried,
around his grave is. a plain iron
fence. From this eminence. . view is
commanded of the whole city. It is
ndsng year by year further over the
out there is not yet . single mar
row street, not a house wherein the sum
light cannot fud its way, nor one where
By q stream does not run, and from
which perpetual snow is not visible
Harper's Weekty.
Salt and Longevity,